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Sunday, September 21, 2008

"Considered one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the world, San Francisco and its residents are no strangers to hugging trees and letting yellow mellow. So why have its hotels taken so long to catch on? It's a densely populated city with gobs of tourists and conventioneers, which means there are a large number of hotels (about 215 in all). There are standard chains and high-end luxury hotels; there are flea bags and hostels. And yet, there are only a handful of eco-hotels.

The newest—and greenest—is the Orchard Garden Hotel, which was opened in November 2006 by the folks who run its sister property down the street, the Orchard Hotel (equally pleasant, not as green). The Orchard Garden is the only LEED-certified hotel in California and was the third to be named as such in the United States; currently, there are only five LEED-certified hotels in the world."